Summer officially here

It is June and that means it is officially summer for many of us who have survived the endless winter. With the warm weather, so comes the tourist season. Every day we get people into the Chamber Office looking for things to do in the west end and we’ve gotten our new brochures, maps, and rack cards.

If you know of something going on, stop in and let us know, drop off your information and let us send some of these people through your doors.

Speaking of what’s going on, the Town-Wide Rummage Sale and West end Weekend are coming up this week. If you stop by the Chamber this week you can get a listing of the over 40 rummage sales being held. Along with that, we will have the list of the businesses that are holding their own customer appreciation sales or discounts for those people out and about. Get out, get moving, and get shopping.

Also coming up this week is the highly anticipated Sportsman’s Triathlon, which coordinated by our members and businesses, Straightline Archery, Wawonowin Country Club and the Negaunee Rod and Gun Club. We expect the west end to be bustling as families come up with the participants and see what the west end has to offer. Not going to be a participant in the Sportsman’s Triathlon? You can still participate and support the area nonprofits with the Sportsman’s Side Events. You can try the Army Strong Challenge for the Camp Cuervo Archery Club, X-Factor Pop Up Archery Challenge to benefit the Upper Peninsula Animal Welfare Shelter,and Shoot Out Cancer that will give the proceeds to Cancer Care of Marquette County.

We are also gearing up and getting the word out for the 4th of July Festivities that will take place in Michigamme, Ishpeming and Negaunee. Check the Facebook pages for details on the parades, golf outing, the Ishpeming Festival of Treasures, the Ishpeming Community Picnic and the second year for Party in the Park WEST (that features nine bounce houses from 2-8 p.m.), the GO BIG FOR KIDS Fun Run, Negaunee Community Picnic, Alumni Softball Tournaments, and the Blue Notes shows.and this is just a partial list.

Finally, I’d like to send a congratulations go out to the Gossard Building for being placed on the state and federal registry for historic places. Similar goes out to the downtown Ishpeming Businesses that are beginning their MEDC Faade Improvement Grant and for seeing the end of construction.

With the streets being paved within the next week, I am excited to see how well the 4th of July Festivities will bring people back to the downtown.

As always, I’ll leave you with the reminder that you can stay up to date by liking the Chamber on facebook or visiting our website www.gincc.org. You can also email ginccmarketing@gmail.com if you want to be added to our email list and search your mobile app store for GINCC Directory and download the free app featuring all of our great businesses.

Editor’s note: Kori Tossava is director of the Greater Ishpeming-Negaunee Area Chamber of Commerce